CMS Issues Alert to Round 1 Rebid Medical Equipment Providers

If your business is involved in the rental or sale of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies in the competitive bidding areas affected by the Round 1 Recompete, you’ll want to make sure you are aware of a directive update issued on November 29, 2012.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has strongly urged all bidders to read the financial document requirements in the Round 1 Recompete Request for Bids (RFB) instructions and carefully check the documents to make sure they exactly meet all requirements.

If financial documents do not meet all of the specific requirements in the RFB instructions, those bids will be disqualified and not be considered for a contract.

Financial Document Corrections Can Still Be Submitted

If financial documents have already been submitted , it is not too late to submit corrections. Make sure to mail all required documents, including any corrected documents, in time for them to be received by the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) on or before December 14, 2012. Faxed or e-mailed documents will not be accepted.

Details of the announcement can be read here. Areas affected by the directive are detailed here.

On January 1, 2011, as part of a general Medicare and Medicaid reform, Round 1 Rebid contracts and prices became effective in nine competitive bidding areas (CBAs) for nine medical product categories. Beneficiaries with Original Medicare who obtain competitively bid items in these nine CBAs are required to obtain those items from an approved contract supplier, unless an exception applies. The contract period for mail-order diabetic supplies ends on December 31, 2012. The contract period for other Round 1 Rebid product categories ends on December 31, 2013.

History of the Round 1 RebidThe Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) required the competition for the first phase of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program to occur in 10 areas in 2007. Round 1 of the program was implemented in 2008 for two weeks until the contracts were terminated by subsequent law. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) temporarily delayed the original Round 1 program, terminated the contracts that were in effect, and made other limited changes. As required by MIPPA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducted the supplier competition again in 2009, referring to it as the Round 1 Rebid.

graphics: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services

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About Bob Schrichte

Robert Bob Schrichte is a graduate of Ohio State University with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Communications. Bob’s background is in both sales and writing. He enjoys spoiling a good walk in the woods by bringing along his golf bag. Follow Bob Schrichte on Google+